Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: FOR-mih-kate, verb Notes: I didn’t know the meaning of the word, but after I saw the definition, it was obvious Yesterday’s word The word luftmensch is “an impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s (meaning 1900-1910) Background / Comments If you thoughtContinue reading “formicate”

Pronounced: LUFT-men(t)sh, noun Notes: The word looks slightly familiar, but I cannot recall where I may have read it (and I don’t know the meaning) Yesterday’s word The word assonance is “the use of words with the same or similar vowel sounds but with different end consonants”. An example of assonance is the “o” soundsContinue reading “luftmensch”

Pronounced: AS-uh-nuhns, noun Notes: I have run across this word, but I didn’t know the meaning of it Yesterday’s word The word borborgymus is “intestinal rumbling caused by moving gas” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments A more common expression used instead of our word is “stomachContinue reading “assonance”

Pronounced: bawr-buh-RIG-muss, noun Notes: Really? There’s a word for that? Yesterday’s word The word hortatory means “strongly urging” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I noted, I’ve run across our word. I’ve read or heard the phrases “hortatory preaching” and “hortatory exhortation” (the latter being anContinue reading “borborygmus”

Pronounced: HORE-tuh-tore-ee, adj Notes: I pretty much knew this word, but I don’t think it is generally known Yesterday’s word The word bandersnatch is “a wildly grotesque or bizarre individual” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments As I noted, I recognized the word as coming from the poemContinue reading “hortatory”

Pronounced: BAN-duh-snatch, noun Notes: The word was familiar to me (and may be to you), but not the definition Yesterday’s word The word magnifico is “a person of high rank or position” First usage Our word appeared in English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments As I noted, our word looks related to “magnificent”… andContinue reading “bandersnatch”

Pronounced: mag-NIF-ih-koh, noun Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word apparatchik is “a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization (such as a corporation or political party)” First usage Our word came into English in the 1940s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, if you thinkContinue reading “magnifico”

Pronounced: ah-puh-RAH(T)-chik, noun Notes: If you think this looks Russian, then… come back tomorrow and read about it Yesterday’s word The word mossback is “a very old-fashioned person or one holding extremely conservative views” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments You have heard the saying “a rolling stoneContinue reading “apparatchik”

Pronounced: MOSS-back, noun Notes: I was pretty close to the meaning – you may know the word Yesterday’s word The word flaneur is “an idle man-about-town” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I thought that I had read a book in which our word was used as theContinue reading “mossback”

Pronounced: flah-NUHR, noun Notes: This word looks familiar, but I don’t recognize it Yesterday’s word The word puce, as a noun, is “a dark red or brown purple color”. As an adjective, it means “of this color” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Like most people, IContinue reading “flaneur”